“Josh Newman is passionate about Natural History. This passion has at times seen him researching Shearwaters in New Zealand's Sub Antarctic, snorkeling with Lion Fish in the Red Sea, climbing Mountains in the Himalayas, and marveling at the universe in his own backyard.” That sounds a bit much really doesn't it, well that's my work bio. Here's the real story.
After spending the first semester of my university life more interested in partying than studying geology I left school, saved money and traveled though Asia, Europe and the Middle East for several years. This time abroad, more than any other experience motivated my return to school in the pursuit of a real passion, Natural History Film-Making. Unsure of the best path to achieving this goal, I began a double major in both Film and Design. Before long I found it was Design that was receiving the majority of my energy. The process driven assessments and down to earth lecturers really struck a cord and I was often spending late nights, once the preserve of drinking with friends, absorbed in a new concept or pushing a deadline to the limit.
Following my initial degree I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the Post Graduate diploma in Natural History Film Making - a course jointly taught by the Otago Zoology department and Natural History New Zealand. One that seemed custom made to fill the question of “where now?”
After completing my studies I headed for Vancouver Island and hitting the ground it was the skills I had learnt in Design that paid the bills while I searched for employment in the fickle world of film. This included graphic design, news editing for a large Canadian network, shooting a music video and teaching design and digital video at tertiary level.
A few lucky breaks later finds me filming for Lindblad Expeditions, (www.expeditions .com) a small eco-cruise company that employs such noted scientists and explorers as Wade Davis and Bob Ballard to lead expeditions to the worlds most remote places. Destinations that were once just a distant dream such as Antarctica, The Galapagos, Baja and the open Atlantic and Pacific oceans have all become a reality.
More recently a partnership between National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions has opened yet more doors and potential film projects are falling into my lap as I write this. How does this apply to my design education? More than any other course I've taken, it's Design that changed the way I view the world around me and that critical eye is something I use and enjoy everyday.